More e-wheel modifications - Sep 17, 2007

I’ve been putting some major time in shaping panels on the wheel and discovered the need for a couple of additional modifications. The first was recommended in one of the web links. The wheel comes with what appears to be a quick release mechanism. It’s a concentric axle with a lever which raises the lower anvil to tighten the workpiece against the upper wheel. By releasing the handle the workpiece can be easily removed or reinserted between the wheel. As delivered, there is no way for the lever to remain in the “tight” position. By drilling and installing a spring pin (see arrow in Photo # 1) to stop the handle when the anvil reaches its highest (tightest) position, the mechanism becomes usable and effective.

The second problem is that the shaft which support the lower anvil is machined slightly too small and it will rock back and forth in the frame support allowing the lower anvil to move slightly. The fix I read on the web was to build up the shaft diameter with welds and then machine it back down to the right size. I’m really not capable of doing that so as an alternative I simply installed two additional stop bolts as shown at the top arrows in Photo # 2. These bolts are tightened so they are just touching the tube but not preventing it from sliding up and down (which is necessary when using the quick release lever described above). Then the locking nuts are firmly tightened in place. I also added a locking nut to the original stop bolt which comes with the unit (see lower arrow). This prevents this bolt from working loose. So far this has worked fairly well and holds the lower anvil quite firmly. I do still have to keep an eye on the lower anvil and tighten up the stop bolts from time to time.